Best Practices for Federal Grant Applications

Make sure you read the program guidelines thoroughly. Sometimes the same opportunity that is offered annually can have some small but important changes.

Consider if the grant opportunity makes sense to apply for in terms of the goals of the program and the size of the project. Don’t apply for a grant that falls outside of your organization’s mission or expertise that you cannot compensate with partnerships. Finally, make sure that you meet the criteria prior to applying.  If you are unsure, contact a program officer and ask for clarification.

Specificity is key. Be really clear about what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, what you expect to accomplish. Who is going to benefit? Make a strong case or “why” behind the program. Develop a budget that clearly helps tell that story. You want your application to be easy for a reviewer, who is often reading dozens or even hundreds of applications, to be able to understand what you are proposing to do. The moment you confuse them, you’ve lost the grant.

“Might,” “could,” “probably,” and “potentially” are words that should not appear anywhere in your application. Their presence demonstrates that the proposal has not been fully conceived.

Oftentimes, federal grant applications ask what you will be contributing out of your own sources of funds, or matching the grant. These need to be from a non-federal source and can be salaries and wages you pay your staff, cash/expenses the applicant organization will incur as part of the project, other grants that will help sponsor the project, earned revenue (such as ticket sales), or goods/services offered in-kind (free). In-kind contributions are not always eligible for match, so contact the grant administrator for clarification.

Federal funds cannot be spent on certain things. Refer to our Federal Eligibility Requirements page for more information.

Many project-based applications need to know how you are planning to spend the grant funds, and potentially, matching dollars from your organization. When you fill out your budget, make sure you cross reference it with what you’re describing in the project description. A mismatch between the budget and description will raise red flags for reviewers.

Don’t leave anything to guesswork! If there’s something you’re unsure about, contact the funder. Getting clarity at the beginning stage can prevent a lot of confusion and potentially make the difference between getting the grant or not.

At least in terms of the grants Arts Midwest offers, we encourage you to not shoulder all the responsibility for every aspect of your proposal. Have a media partner handle outreach, connect with a local Rotary or community-based organization for volunteers, etc. Perhaps your in-person or digital networks have other expertise that you’re not aware of, so put out a call for a specific set of skills you need. It never hurts to ask!

Offering data points in your application narratives demonstrates thoughtfulness and care went into it. For example, are you hoping to describe the audiences or a geographical region you’re serving? Consider taking a few minutes to review the latest census information at census.gov.